Framed structure



March 16, 1937.

w. A. TROUT FRAMED STRUCTURE Filed Junev 9, 1954 A TroR/v'fk Patented Mar. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES FRAMED STRUCTURE o William A. Trout,

Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 9, 1934, Serial No. 729,836`

7 Claims.

My invention relates to framed structures, and more particularly to structures which are formed from structural steel or iron members of conventional shape.

An object of the invention is to provide in such structures a structural element or section in which the columns maybe formed optionally of light or heavy angle-iron members and in which the type of column may be changed after the structure is erected without dismantling the structure or destroying its structural unity. I

have found that in some cases it is desired to erect a structur-e whichis suiliciently strong to initially support a certain initial load, and that l5 it may later be 'desired to adapt the structure to support a considerably lighter or heavier load. Wherever it is `desired to provide such a structure it will be found that my invention has a definite utility.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an element or section which is intended to form a, part of a completed structure.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on a somewhat enlarged scale showing a horizontal section through one corner of the section, for examp-laon a plane represented by the line 2--2 of Fig. l with a light column member.

Fig. 3 isa horizontal section on the same scale as Fig. 2 on the same plane as Fig. 2, Vbut with.

both the heavy and light column members in place, but with the fastening means in the position they assume when the columns are being changed.

Fig. 4 is a section on the same plane and to the same scale as Fig. 2, with only the heavy column member in place.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the upper part of the permanent structure of the section on a plane represented by the line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a spacing wash- Fig. '7 is a view showing the use of a shoulder bolt.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing an alternative form of my invention.

In the structural section shown, upper supporting angle-iron members Ill are secured by rivets II to gusset plates I2, and lower supporting angle-iron members I3 are secured by rivets I4 to gusset plates I5. The angle-iron members I3 may rest on a suitable foundation or some (Cl. 18S-36) other structure and support the structural section, and the vangle-iron members Ill may support the load directly or through other structure.

Cross bracing members I6 extend diagonally across the face of the structural section, being secured to the gusset plates I2 and I5 by permanent bolts lI'I and removable bolts I8. The terms permanent bolts and removable bolts are used in a technical sense only. The permanent bolts are those which under ordinary 1 circumstances will never be removed as long as it is desired to maintain the structure, and the removablebolts are those which must be removed to change column members. The members, bolts, and rivets III to I'l inclusive are 15 hereinafter called the permanent structure, since they are not removed or changed after the structure is erected and need not be so removed or changed to change columns.

Two separate and distinct sets of column members are provided; namely, light column members 20 and heavy column members 2i. Both are conventional structural angle iron sections. They are secured to the gusset plates i2 as shown and in a similar manner to the gusset -plates I5. Two different types of bolt assemblies are used; namely, the washer type 22, and the plain type 23. These bolt assemblies both use a stan-dard bolt and nut (with lock washers not shown, if desired) but the bolt assembly 22 contains a spacing washer 25. Each of these spacing washers has a body 26 of .somewhat larger diameter than the head oi' the standard bolts used, a hole 21 large enough for the body of the bolt to pass therethrough, and a ilange 2t of somewhat larger diameter than the body 25.

In practice the light column members 20 are always bolted on the outside oi the gusset plates I2 and I5, and the heavy column members are bolted on the inside of these gussets. However, it comes within the scope of my invention to mount the light column members 2&3 on the inside ci the gusset plates il and the heavy column members 2! on the outside, as shown in Fig. 8. These members 2E and 2i are in what I refer to as nested relationship; that is, the corner of the angle 2t. is disposed in the vshaped channel formed by the two legs of the angle 2i.

The method of assembly and the utility of the two types of bolt assembly will be better understood if we consider the actual operation of assembling. Assuming that the structure has been assembled with only the heavy column members 2l in place and that the parts have 55 v manent members;

been secured together by bolts 22 and 23 as shown in Fig. 4, it will be seen that the bolt assemblies 22 are elfective in clamping the heavy column members 2| to the gussets |2 due to the use of the spacing washers 25, the bodies 26 of which pass through holes somewhat larger than the heads of the bolts in the column members 2|, the fianges 28 serving to clamp the columns and gussets firmly together. In other Words, both the bolts 22 and the bolts 23 are effective as securing means for the structure.

If now it is desired to substitute for the heavy column member 2| a light column member 20; the bolts 22 may be Withdrawn without affecting the structural integrity. The light column member 20 may then be put in place and secured as shown in Fig. 3, the spacing Washers being omitted and the heads of the bolts 22 bearing directly on the gusset plates. The bolts 23 being then withdrawn, the heavy columns 2| may be withdrawn, thus leaving the structure Wholly supported on the light columns 20.

It is entirely obvious that if the structure is erected with only the light column members 2i) in place, as shown in Fig. 2, the heavy columns 2| may be inserted and the light columns withdrawn without disturbing the permanent structure or leaving it unsupported at any time by a reversal of the process above described. 'Ihe heavy member is inserted and secured in place by the bolts 23, thus providing a support for the permanent structure. The bolts 22 are then taken out andv the light column member is taken off the outside of the structure. The bolts 22 are then provided with spacing Washers and put in place as shown in Fig. 4.

Instead of using a standard bolt with a spacing washer 25, special shoulder bolts, such as are shown in Fig. '7, may be used for the bolt assemblies 22V when used as shown in Fig. 4, these bolts being withdrawn and standard bolts being substituted therefor with the parts secured as in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.

This invention has a special utility where it is desired to erect a low building and later to add additional stories thereto. It may also be used Where it is desired to erect a structure adapted to carry a definite load and later to modify the structure to carry a lighter or heavier load.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a structure adapted to be converted from a condition in which it is adapted to support a heavy load into a condition in which it can support only a light load, the combination of: perheavy angle-iron column members adapted to be bolted at the corners of the structure on the inner side of said permanent members; light angle-iron column members adapted to be bolted at the corners of the structure on the outer side of said permanent members and in nested relationship to said heavy angle-iron column members; bolts securing each of said heavy column members to the inside of said permanent members independently of said light column members; and other bolts securing each of said light column members to said permanent members independently of said heavy column members.

2. In a frame Structure formed of conventional structural shapes, the combination of: a permanent structure; primary members comprising angle-iron columns secured to the inner sides of the corners of said permanent structure; secondary members comprising angle-iron columns secured to the outer sides of the corners of said permanent structure in nested relationship to said primary members; and primary and secondary bolts securing said primary and secondary members independently to said permanent structure to enable removing or replacing of the inner column members or the outer column members Without disturbing each other or said permanent structure.

3. In a frame structure formed of conventional structural shapes, the combination of: a permanent structure; dual angle-iron column members in nested relationship; and means independently securing said dual column members to said permanent structure so that either one of said dual column members can be removed or replaced without disturbing said permanent structure.

4. In a structure, the combination of: two plates placed in angular relationship with each other with their edges adjoining; a heavy angle member so placed that the sides of its legs abut on one side of each plate; a light angle member` so placed that the sides of its legs abut on the other side of each plate; bolts fastening the heavy angle member to the plates; and bolts fasteningl the light angle member to the plates, the heavy angle member having holes therein large enough to permit the heads of certain of the bolts, securing the light angle member to the plates, to pass therethrough without gripping the heavy angle member.

5. In a structure, the combination of: two plates placed with their edges adjoining; a first connecting member so placed that it abuts on one side of each of said plates; a second connecting member so placed that it abuts on the other side of each of said plates; and fastening means securing said connecting members to said plates, holes being provided in one of said connecting members of suflicient size toI permit the heads of at least some of the fastening means for the other connecting member to pass through said holes without engaging the member in which said holes are situated.

6. Corner reinforcing means for a structure comprising: a first connecting means adapted to be placed outside of 4and in contact with members forming part of the corner of the structure; a second connecting means adapted to be placed inside of and in Contact with said members forming the corner of the structure; and bolts passing through holes in said connecting means and said members, some of the holes in one of said connecting means being suiiiciently large to allow the heads of said bolts to pass therethrough so that the bolts used in said particular holes do not engage the means having said particular holes.

7. Corner reinforcing means for the corner of a structure, comprising: a connecting means adapted to be placed in contact with members forming a part of said structure; bolts passing through holes in said means and said members, some of the holes in said means through which said bolts pass being suficiently large to allow the heads of said bolts to pass therethrough without engaging said means; and washers engaged by the heads of the bolts passing through said enlarged holes and engaging the surface of said means.

WILLIAM A. TROUT. 

